99% Invisible Hidden Levels #4: Machinima
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Oct 17, 2025 Join Andrew Calloway, a producer and contributor to a well-known podcast, as he takes a deep dive into the captivating world of machinima. Discover how artists transformed video games into filmmaking platforms back in the '90s. Hear about the unique experience of staging a Hamlet performance in GTA V with real players. Explore how machinima democratized animation, the rise of shows like Red vs. Blue, and its impact on contemporary filmmaking. Plus, learn about recent award-winning documentaries making use of this innovative medium!
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Hamlet Performed Inside GTA V
- Sam Crane staged a full production of Hamlet inside Grand Theft Auto V during the pandemic and filmed it entirely in-game.
- Penny Crane turned that project into the documentary Grand Theft Hamlet, which won Best Documentary Feature at SXSW.
Machinima Defined And Foreseen
- Machinima, a portmanteau of machine and cinema, referred to films made inside video games and was coined in 1998.
- Early advocates like Roger Ebert wondered if real-time game engines would democratize animation and filmmaking.
Ill Clan Invents Quake Filmmaking Tricks
- Paul Marino and the Ill Clan made early machinima in Quake to speed up animation workflows and staged films by puppeteering characters live.
- They produced demo files and used teleportation to imitate camera cuts for playback inside Quake.
